


Afterglow

by seolarss



Series: it’s not living (if it’s not with you) [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Dancing, Drug Use, First Meetings, Hallucinations, House Party, Implied Sexual Content, LSD, M/M, Making Out, Marijuana, Sexual Tension, Strangers to Lovers, Underage Drinking, Underage Drug Use, acid trips lol, and renjun is bored, donghyck is bisexual, donghyuck is tripping hardcore, idk donghyuck is horny, implied nahyuck fwb, kind of, mark is twenty four, narenhyuck are twenty three, not that it matters, renjun is pretty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:21:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24852247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seolarss/pseuds/seolarss
Summary: But a boy appears, and oh god, he’s looking right at Donghyuck with such a smile. He’s euphoric, like he’s basking in the afterglow of sex and puddled in the sheets of his bed. His hair sticks to his forehead and red dye follows the line of sweat to his neck, where his necklace glints in the light. Donghyuck wants to tug on it so badly. Another cloud is blown his way, and the boy is gone.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Donghyuck | Haechan
Series: it’s not living (if it’s not with you) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1978588
Comments: 20
Kudos: 88





	Afterglow

**Author's Note:**

> hi i am not promoting the use of psychedelics!! they're illegal in the us and they can be very dangerous!!!! donghyuck has a good trip in this case but bad trips can end dangerously and you should never take hallucinogens in such crowded areas like this either (or at all because they're illegal)! only ever with one or two people that you trust very much  
> but on that note have donghyuck tripping balls and thirsting over renjun  
> this fic was inspired by "Drugs" by UPSAHL,,,enjoy!

Donghyuck can feel the movement of every single person in this house. He can hear the sweat dripping down his back, twinkling over the sound of yelling and moaning and loud, thumping music. His fingers are itching to grab onto something—maybe it’s the bright stripes of light that follow his movement but disappear when he chases them. Maybe it’s someone’s hair.

When Jaemin had pressed the small square of paper onto Donghyuck’s tongue, he took it with little hesitance and even less faith that it would work. The last time Jaemin tried buying LSD from a random dude at the underpass, he lost eighty-five bucks for printer paper coated in rice flour. He cried about it for an hour while Donghyuck rolled him a joint of Golden Goat. He’d bought it to celebrate getting a job, but found out the hard way that Walmart did quarter-yearly drug tests. Thankfully, it got Jaemin motivated enough to drag Donghyuck to bed. 

He peels his jacket off his back and drops it to the floor to be forgotten. He’s so thirsty, but the alcohol is off limits now and Jaemin’s tap water tastes like blood and dirt. He smacks his lips as he finds his way to the kitchen in hopes of finding some ice in the freezer that he can crunch on.

There’s Hawaiian punch in the fridge and he nearly cries tears of joy as he pours it into a Solo cup filled to the brim with crushed ice. A girl leans clumsily against the counter and attempts to flirt with him, but he’s far too preoccupied with the colours swirling around her head to care. He takes a sip of his juice and squeezes his eyes shut. It’s still so bright.

He checks the clock, expecting it to be deep into the night, only to realise he’s been at the party for two hours, and it isn’t even midnight. The girl tugs on his arm as he leaves the kitchen and Donghyuck shrugs her off, ignoring her cries of protest. She smelled too strongly of Jasmine perfume, it made bugs fly around her neck and wrists. Besides, Donghyuck is here for the trip. Nothing more and nothing less. 

But god, he can’t walk without thinking his feet are going to sink straight into the wooden floorboards. A vape cloud is blown into his face and for a split second he swears he can see Hades in it. He can feel his heartbeat in his left ear. He sucks a mouthful of ice from his cup and crunches on it as he sways to the music. Where is he? His head makes a slow turn around the room. Mark has his head out the window, throwing up into the bushes. Jaemin is dry humping someone against a wall. Their eyes meet and the look on Jaemin’s face makes Donghyuck burn. It asks him to follow them into Jaemin’s room. He turns away quickly and takes another drink from his cup. 

There’s a sudden pull in his chest and he looks toward the stairs warily. The basement door is opening slowly, and the creaking is _loud,_ shrill, and it forces his shoulders up to protect his ears. But a boy appears, and oh god, he’s looking right at Donghyuck with _such_ a smile. He’s euphoric, like he’s basking in the afterglow of sex and puddled in the sheets of his bed. His hair sticks to his forehead and red dye follows the line of sweat to his neck, where his necklace glints brightly in the light. Donghyuck wants to tug on it so badly. Another cloud is blown his way, and the boy is gone. The floor is thrumming and there’s a gold line leading into the basement, urging Donghyuck to follow it. 

He finds himself downstairs with no memory of having gone there himself. There’s someone standing next to him with his hand on his waist and holding Donghyuck’s arm around his shoulder. He’s speaking to him and he looks worried, but it sounds to Donghyuck as if he’s speaking three languages at once and every word is jumbled together. He, thankfully, is still holding his cup of Hawaiian punch, and once he gets the dude to leave him alone, he gulps down half of it. He’s so hot and his heart bangs against his chest clumsily; he’s already forgotten why he came down here.

There’s a group of guys playing ping pong without their shirts on, shrieking when the ball whips against their bare skin. It looks like the golden snitch and its quick wings slice their chests. Their blood drips white, like glue, and the sight makes Donghyuck laugh louder than he’d hoped, because the four of them send looks his way. He quickly shuts his mouth and spins on his heels, moving toward the other room. 

Maybe it’s the group surrounding him that catches his attention, or the way his body is moving to the music, but his hair is what reminds Donghyuck of why he came downstairs. His back is to the entrance of the room but he lifts his arms over his head and Donghyuck can see the joint between his fingers and the chipped polish on his nails. He staggers into the room, desperate for a closer look. When the boy turns, his ribs are visible through the arms of a tank top that’s far too big for him. Is that tattoo moving?

Donghyuck can’t stop himself from pushing through the crowd to touch him. The mystery boy freezes at the hand on his shoulder, and turns to face him. His makeup is smudged around eyes that are fighting to stay open and his skin is slick with sweat. He’s wearing lip gloss, Donghyuck realises when his eyes flicker to the smile growing on his lips. Is it sparkling, or is it another trick of the eye?

“You called for me?” Donghyuck asks, and the smile disappears for a second. His mind feels so clear all of a sudden. He could probably do math.

“Did I?” the boy says and brings the joint to his lips. “I don’t think I did.”

“I just saw you upstairs, we were looking at each other. I could feel you asking me to come downstairs.”

Donghyuck can feel humiliation sinking into his bones at the confused look he’s given in response. The boy takes a moment to look him over, from the orange mop flattened on his scalp to the red Converse falling apart on his feet. His eyes drag back up to meet Donghyuck’s own and he squints before realisation washes over him.

“Ah, you’re high, aren’t you?”

Donghyuck nods. “But I saw you.”

“Baby, I haven’t left his basement since I arrived,” he chuckles as he takes another drag from his joint. He leans forward to peer into Donghyuck’s cup. “That’s not alcohol, is it?”

“It’s juice.” The boy giggles and it makes him burn hot with shame. “The tap water tastes bad.”

“No, I’m not laughing at you, don’t worry,” he pokes at Donghyuck’s stomach. “You’re probably feeling a little nauseous, aren’t you?”

Now that he mentions it, Donghyuck notices the churning in his stomach and the sour taste in his mouth. He nods, and this time the colours of the room swirl in his vision. He stumbles and one of the boy’s hands wraps around his arm, to steady him.

“Here,” he extends the hand holding the joint. “Believe it or not, this helps a lot with nausea.”

It takes a moment for the words to translate before Donghyuck accepts the joint. He rolls it between his thumb and forefinger and looks back at the boy. He’s watching with a patient expression, or maybe he’s struggling to stay awake. Did he always have a nose piercing? He brings the joint to his lips and takes a long, deep drag. His lungs burn almost immediately but he holds it in, passing the joint back. The boy’s hand reaches for Donghyuck’s face and he pulls his jaw open gently, forcing him to puff the smoke directly into his face. He closes his eyes and Donghyuck swears he hears him moan.

“Better?” He asks once he’s opened his eyes. “A good joint with a great trip feels almost as amazing as nice head.”

Donghyuck shivers. The boy’s hand is still on his chin and the contact sinks into every one of his nerves, lighting him up completely. A blue light circles his head like an angry bee and Donghyuck wonders if the boy can see it too.

“I’m thirsty,” the boy points at Donghyuck’s drink. “Can I?”

It feels impossible to resist him. He doesn’t think he would even if he was sober. Is this beautiful stranger even real? He watches him take a long sip from his cup and gather a mouthful of ice with his tongue. He can’t seem to look away from his lips even after he’s handed the cup back.

“You know, if you want to kiss me, you just need to do it,” the boy says, pausing to crunch the ice. “It’s rude to stare.”

“Are you still thirsty?” Donghyuck asks.

“What? Yeah, I guess,” he furrows his eyebrows and shakes his head. “What?”

Donghyuck knocks back the rest of the drink and surges forward, dropping his cup in order to grab at the boy’s waist. His mouth is open with an unformed question and Donghyuck makes quick work of pressing their lips together and slipping his tongue into his mouth.

The feeling is indescribable when he hears him moan. There’s Hawaiian punch dripping from the corners of their mouths and the ice burns cold on Donghyuck’s tongue but his entire body is on _fire,_ hot and out of control. There’s a hand sneaking up his shirt and scratching down his stomach and he can feel it from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. He’s shaking so violently he’s worried he’ll scare him away. Their teeth clack together and he nearly chokes when he whimpers at the collision. His fingers curl around his belt loops and he pulls their hips together. He can hear the boy gulp, feel his tongue running across the back of his teeth, and he can still see colours dancing behind his eyelids. 

But Donghyuck can barely breathe, so he moves his head back and feels the lip gloss stick uncomfortably to his lips. He opens his eyes and _fuck,_ Donghyuck is probably in love with him.

“I think I’m in love with you.”

The boy laughs and takes a step back. “Whoa there, you don’t even know my name. You’re definitely out of it.”

“Well what’s your name, then?” Donghyuck asks, trying not to sound so desperate. 

Instead of answering, the boy takes another drag from the nearly forgotten joint in his hand, stepping forward to kiss Donghyuck again. His lips part almost immediately and the boy blows the smoke into his mouth, his tongue running along his gums. How could he do something like this and not believe he was in love?

He gnaws on Donghyuck’s lip as he pulls away. His lips are so pink and swollen and his face is so perfectly flushed. He’s basking in the afterglow, just like he’d looked upstairs. The upstairs version of him that didn’t exist. “I’m not sleeping with you tonight so I’ll tell you my name.”

“Tonight?”

“Shut up. My name is Renjun,” he huffs. “If you remember me, _Donghyuck,_ you’ll notice that I’ve been coming to the pastry shop you work at several times a week to get you to notice me.”

Donghyuck starts. “What?”

“Idiot,” Renjun mumbles. “I’m normally not wearing anything like this,” he gestures to the chains wrapping around his thighs. “But I thought the red hair was kind of hard to miss.”

“Renjun,” Donghyuck murmurs. The name feels _so good,_ and lightning sparks on his tongue. “Renjun, I love you.”

“No you don’t,” he breathes, but he smiles and light shoots from his teeth. “But remember me on Monday, and maybe I’ll say yes when you ask me out for lunch after your shift.”

He lets Donghyuck kiss him one more time. Red and orange and gold explode behind Donghyuck’s eyes and even long after the kiss has ended and he’s fallen into bed for the crash, he can feel himself basking.

**Author's Note:**

> sorry i haven't posted in a minute,,i've been working on something very big and very long and then my computer broke!!! but i've got a new one and will continue working on said big thing, but in the meantime, i hope u enjoyed !!!
> 
> feel free to follow my twitter if u wanna,,, [seolarss](https://twitter.com/seolarss)


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